Household food security and nutrition monitoring: The Malawi approach to development planning and policy interventions

Abstract

This paper documents implementation of Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring (FSNM) at the household level as a process of information generation for food and nutrition planning and policy making. A case study of Malawi is presented to describe various stages involved in generating data and converting them into policy decisions. The institutional arrangement for food security and nutrition monitoring in Malawi is presented along with a conceptual framework for identifying factors that influence food security and nutritional status of the population. The process of implementing Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring in Malawi is presented in two parts; the process of information generation and the use of results in policy implementation. The costs and benefits of Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring in Malawi are also documented. Presenting the lessons from the Malawi approach, the paper concludes that a decentralized system of data collection, processing and analysis is more likely to be successful in planning and policy making for food security and nutritional improvements.